The Hyena Laughs
by heavyneos
Summary: OC inserted into Westeros
1. Chapter 1

It was cold but no more so than usual for the time of year, the summer snows farther north would be a welcome sight for Eddard Stark, but for now the cool air and boggy marsh land was he could see and feel, he was tiered, his lungs were burning and his legs where aching begging for him to stop but he dared not; the King wanted him dead and had dispatched men to do the deed, as soon as he had learned what the King intended for him he grabbed his horse and took flight for the North and home, but the King had moved much faster than he had thought the mad man would, it wasn't enough the mad King had killed his father and brother but he now seemed hell bent on ending the Stark line completely. He was panting lungs aflame his horse had been killed from beneath him by a Royal sheriff forcing Eddard (Ned to his friends) to go on foot, he had nowhere to hide so he could only run, the marsh lands slowing his pursuers but not stopping them, even with his heavy breathing he could hear the heavy galloping of a warhorse it was only by luck that he ducked in time to avoid a sword slash aimed at his neck.

This was where Ned didn't want to be, on foot facing a mounted knight with only his sword and his wits, with enemy reinforcements coming he would soon be facing three mounted knights, he was tiered but had no choice but to stand and fight, with everything against him he prayed to the old gods that he may live to see his home again. The first knight circled Ned seemingly content to wait for his companions so they could set upon the Stark like a wolf in a trap, Ned crouched slightly his body weight was moved to the balls of his feet his knees bent ready to move at a moment's notice, his sword was held in both hands he knew he would have one shot and only one shot to take down these knights, then the knight charged at him Ned raised the blade above his head he needed to time this just right.

The horse reached full gallop and the knight had his lance aimed at Ned's chest, and Ned could practically feel the smirk behind the knight's helm, as he bore down on Ned he moved batting the lance away with the flat of his sword, the knight recognising that he was in imitate danger tied to manoeuvre himself away, but he knew it was hopeless had the knight been older man more experienced then maybe he wouldn't have fallen for this, Ned hammed his blade like his friend Robert would his War Hammer across the chest of the knight who fell from his horse into the bog, Ned knew it would be imposable for the knight to get up, taking advantage he stabbed into the sweat spot between armour plate and arm pit, the blade sank deep into his body ending the life of the loyalist sheriff.

Ned lingered too long on his first real kill and didn't notice the other knights bearing down on him and only moved when he heard a sudden deep cry of

"Move yah fool" Did Ned actually turn to see the two knights bearing down on him; he seemed lost for a moment too stunned to move, he could only watch as the two knights charged at him there lance points gleaming in the sun, Ned was rooted his mind was screaming move but his body would not, then a sudden massive impact knocked him on his stomach and sent his sword tumbling out of his hand, "bloody idiot, are you trying to get killed" Ned looked at the man who had saved him

"Are you an Umber" he asked slightly dazed the man looked allot like the Greatjon only much larger and dressed in strange clothes

"What the hell is an Umber" asked the large man as he got up helping Ned get to his feet grabbing his sword and handing it back to him "there coming back around I hope you have a plan" he said as he grabbed the dead knights sword, it looked like a metal tooth pick in his hands, the two knights got into a full gallop once again and charged at them, this time Ned didn't freeze he moved to the right of the giant Umber looking man

"Aye I have a Plan" Ned grabbed the lance from the fallen knight timing his attack just right he once again deflected the knights lance and struck the knight on the head the blow was enough to knock his helm askew, the knight tumbled from his horse his numb hands pulling the rains as he fell slowing the horse to a stop as he hit the wet mud like a sack of potatoes.

Ned saw his chance and immediately jumped into the saddle of the horse and chased after the last knight, he tucked the lance tightly into himself as he was taught, he caught the knight as he was turning about, he aimed for the point between the helmet and the breast plate usually protected by a gorget but for whatever reason this knight didn't have one, he didn't feel anything as the lance point drove into the knights throat, as he let go of the lance the knight slid out of his saddle and flopped to the ground like a boneless dead eel.

Ned turned to see the man who had saved him from sheer death and saw him toying with the knight he had unhorsed, deflecting sword blows and mocking the knight while he did so, the knight charged at him and he spun out of the way slapping the knight on his posterior with the flat of his blade,

"Are you even trying?" he said to the knight who growled in rage "because I know I'm not" the knight made to slash at the un-armoured giant but he moved much faster than a man his size should have any right two catching the wrist of the knight stabbing the blade into his guts, he seemed to stop suddenly looking down at the sword now impaled into the knight like it was some kind of monster, he didn't move as he released the knights wrist and the body slid slowly off the blade leaving a thick track of blood on the blade, the man landed with a lifeless wet squelching thud on the ground dead.

Ned approached the man unsure as to what to say to him, the man seemed to register Ned as he moved closer to him

"I..." he stopped himself he seemed unsure on what to say

"My name is Eddard Stark Lord of Winterfell" the large man turned to face him he looked somehow hollow "I thank you for saving my life I am indebted to you Umber" he didn't say anything just turned back to the man he had killed the stood silent for a moment or two before Ned tried to speak to him again "was he your first?" he asked

"Aye" he said simply "I never" he stopped to gather himself "it seems so easy when you read about it, the techniques the...the exploitation of weakness but to live and... to end a life they don't prepare you for that"

"No they don't"

"My name is Llewellyn, Llewellyn Jones"

"Thank you for saving my life Llewellyn"

"It was nothing, anyone would have done the same" he held out his hand to Ned who grasped his forearm tightly "just one thing though, do you know where I am" he asked "one moment I'm walking home from the library and the next thing I know I'm in a marsh" he said planting the sword point down into the ground firmly "I know I'm not in Pembrokeshire anymore but saying that I didn't think Wales had any marsh land at all"

"You are in the North"

"The north of what?"

"Westeros"

"Shit" he stood there silent "I...I don't" Ned could see the hope drain from the man, and wanting to repay him for saving his life Ned came to a decision

"You could come with me" Ned said as he patted the man on the back "the North needs good men and you do need somewhere to stay"

"thank you" he said looking at the smaller man "I just need to get my bag"


	2. Chapter 2

Llewellyn didn't know how to feel right now, he had ended a life but he didn't feel anything, not remorse not sorrow just nothing, sure he threw up but everything he had read and everything he had seen seemed to indicate that the first kill was the hardest but after the initial wave of nausea he was fine, though if his companion felt anything he kept it hidden, the man looked like a young Sean Bean only much more rough looking he had a long face and grey eyes, almost like polished stone, his eyes where the most striking to Llewellyn they just seemed so cold like ice over a river, though he didn't dwell on such things for too long as he was trying to stay on his horse, he hadn't ridden one since he was a child and it was not like riding a bike as the saying goes, the bloody thing was stomping, heaving and in some cases out right fight where Llewellyn wanted them to go.

His companion had no such problems he was directing his bloody beast where he wanted like he was born in the saddle, the path he was leading them on was like a well trodden mud road and the off putting damp smell of the swamps to their left where upsetting his stomach but he followed behind diligently, he didn't want to be lost in bloody swamp, he had seen in several books and documentaries just how dangerous the things where and even though he loved crocodiles he didn't want to be ones snack, they had burred the three attacking men in shallow graves after Llewellyn had taken there armour equipment and money they had used the spare horse as the pack carrier with all the armour and equipment on it and tied it to Eddards animal with Llewellyn brining up the rear.

"Were are we headed man"

"Greywater watch is the closest settlement to us, but we can't get to it without the Crannog men to lead the way so we have day's journey to Moat Cailian there is usually a guard troop there from Winterfell when we get there I will call my banners and get to Winterfell"

"How far is Winterfell?"

"About twenty days depending if we spend the night at Moat Cailian and if the weather is with us"

"So why were those guys after you?" asked Llewellyn after a moment of silence

"They were sent by the King to arrest and execute me"

"What about a trial"

"My father went to trial against the King and for my brother"

"What happened?"

"My father demanded trial by combat to which the King agreed" Eddard stopped his horse and turned it so he was facing Llewellyn "my father named himself as champion and the King" Eddard paused he seemed to shake for a moment and then with voice faltering "the King proclaimed fire as his champion and burned my farther alive in his armour, my brother strangled himself to death trying to save him"

"What the Fuh?" Llewellyn whispered in shocked horror "oh mate I am so sorry, that is messed up man like fuck what kind of mad bastard dose that, even at their worst the Kings of Britain would never do that hell I think even Vlad the Impaler would balk at that, Jesus!"

"He then ordered Jon Arryn to send him my head and the head of Robert Baratheon" he said turning his horse back and riding on Llewellyn kicked his blasted steed on to catch up and the duo lapsed into silence.

"Who is Vlad the Impaler and what is Britain" asked Eddard

Llewellyn knew that Ed needed something to take is mind of what had happened

"Vlad the Impaler was the Prince of Wallachia a small unimportant nation in Europe, and would have been a man of little interest to anyone in the world if he hadn't done what seemed impossible at the time, he beat the world's leading superpower of the day the Ottoman Empire in battle something not many had ever done at that point in history, though he was reputed to be a cruel and evil man who impaled all of his enemies he was loved by his people and held up as the greatest hero of his time by the people even today"

The duo lapsed into silence before Eddard spoke

"And what is Britain?"

"Britain is my home its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, it is made up of four nations united under the crown"

"Like Westeros then"

"How so?"

"We have seven kingdoms united under the Targarian Kings"

"Oh what Kingdoms make it up?"

"Well there is The Kingdom of the North, the Kingdom of Vale and Sky, the Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers, Kingdom of the Rock, Kingdom of the Reach, Kingdom of the Stormlands and the Principality of Dorne"

"How is a Principality a Kingdom?"

"Dorne was incorporated into it becoming a kingdom ruled by the king"

"Well it's easier to say rather than the six kingdoms and the one principality" Llewellyn thought he saw a glimmer of a smile behind Eddards eyes

"And Britain?" he asked "what kingdoms make her"

"Well there is England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales" Llewellyn reached for his bag "but even though we are called united we still keep our own national flags, flowers and Animals and languages"

Once again silence rained but they had managed to kill some time and Llewellyn had managed to take Ed's mind off what happened no matter how briefly.

"So what's the north like?" Llewellyn asked as he finally settled on the saddle

"Wild, Rugged, Harsh to the unprepared but it is home" Eddard smiled nostalgically.

They spent the rest of their time to Moat Cailian talking about the past and there family Eddard would later admit that it had helped him with his grief and how he coped with it.


	3. Chapter 3

"And so the Spartan army was destroyed through treachery rather than martial force or tactical brilliance" explained Llewellyn as he and Ed came up to the crest of a hill and as they did so Llewellyn was struck dumb by the sight before him, he had seen many ruined castles in his time but none of the size that was before him, it was almost twice the size of Caernarfon castle and strewn about all over the place there where squire towers company destroyed with only about a quarter of their body's shown, and drum towers that where in better shape but open to the forces of nature and sitting amongst the ruined walls and broken towers was a bailey with a fortification on top of it surrounded by the murkiest swamp he had ever seen.

"Welcome to Moat Cailin my friend"

"When you said fortress I was expecting something bigger"

"This fortress has never fallen to forces from the south"

"I can see that mate" he said standing in his stirrups "you got thick swamp water all around varying depths probably, ground looks way too soft for heavy siege engines the trees don't look strong enough for a proper battering ram and you would need to bring your own ladders and even if you have this wee little path that's not going to allow more than two or three down together"

Ed nodded as Llewellyn made his assessment

"You could hold this place with twenty men and hold up an army of thousands" Llewellyn sniffed heavily "this land is awful" he sighed "such a shame too you could make this into good arid farmland but you would lose the natural defences that this place has"

Ed nodded again before kicking his horse into motion with the pack horse and Llewellyn following behind him, there was no room for both horses to ride two abreast together down the raised road that lead into the fortress. It was made of wood and smelled like it was rotting badly the stone inside was not that better and they were met by a large man with greying hair and dark brown sideburns that connected in the middle by leather hair bands, he was wearing a heavy fur cloak a long gambeson with leather armour onto of that with tall boots, he was armed with an arming sword and had a scowl on his face as we entered the fortress.

"My lord welcome back to the north"

"Rodrik" Eddard smiled as he slid off his horse, Rodrik grabbed Eddard by the shoulders with a dark scowl, Llewellyn began to reach for his sword when Rodrik smiled and barked a laugh smiled warmly then brought Eddard into a tight embrace

"Oh my boy I thought I lost you too" he said as he pushed Ed back and got a good look at him "well you look to be in one peace but how did you get here"

"I was going to go by sea but Aerys seemed to anticipate that and when I got to the fingers several of the royal fleets ships where there and sending out troops to reinforce Gulltown against the Arryan's, I barely got back to the gates of the moon and to the north by land the last I heard was that Gulltown had fallen back to the Arryan's and the reinforcements had been routed by the Royce's I had to procure a horse and get north as fast as possible"

"Aerys has ordered every house in the north to surrender to the judgment of the seven or burn for their heathenry and that they are to surrender you and your brother for execution"

"That would explain the sheriffs" Llewellyn said the old man looked at him with suspicion

"I didn't know the Umbers had any bastards in the south"

"The only bastard here is your barber"

"This is Llewellyn he saved my life" explained Eddard trying to defuse the suddenly intense situation as the old knight Rodrik looked him over, while the large man got down from his horse and surprised at the man's size but kept it well hidden behind a deep scowl.

"Names Llewellyn, Llewellyn Jones" he said as he reached out to shake the knights hand, Rodirk looked at the outstretched appendage before he slowly grasped the man's forearm.

"Well met Llewellyn of House Jones I am very grateful for your assistance "he said looking the man and his strange clothes over, he did mean that deep down in his heart he was grateful the large man had helped his lord but he was suspicious of how the man knew where to intervene "I have never heard of a house Jones" he said trying to catch the man out on his lie

"As far as I know there are none in Westeros, I'm not exactly from around hear" he said with an uneasy chuckle as he pulled his rucksack off his back, the knight's scowl deepened a twinkle of suspicion danced behind his eyes

"I've invited him to Winterfell as a guest of house Stark" Eddard said to the older man

"Very well my lord" he responded looking the man over again before he led Eddard away to speak privately to him, "My lord is this wise we don't know this man or where his loyalties lie" he said looking back at him then into Eddards eyes trying to see if he had somehow been bewitched

"He saved my life Rodrik" Eddard said putting more emphasis behind the words hoping that the man would understand, he would have died at lance point if not for this man, or worse sent to the red keep and burned like his father before him.

"Very well I will give him the benefit of the doubt for now" Rodrik did not look happy he didn't know this man and had no knowledge of his family, how could he know the man's character if he did not know who this man's ancestors are, where they loyal to their lord, where they traitors like the Grey-Starks he did not know and what he did not know put him on edge, after all the way a man's ancestors acted yesterday often bled into how a man acted today, and for him to resemble an Umber did nothing to elevate his suspicions of the man, it was like dealing with bastards you always had to look of for hidden knives and motives.

"Thank you Rodrik" Eddard said clapping the man on the back relived that he had understood that honour demanded such from him

"But I will watch him, closely" Eddard sighed it was the best he could hope for given the circumstances and he didn't want to explain to you that the man had come from another world entirely he would probably think him as mad as a dragon.

"Are there the Ravens Prepared?"

"Yes my lord they only await your seal"

"Excellent" Eddard smiled the first thing to go right since he had left for the North "let get the messages sent we should be in Winterfell soon" and from there he though this war shall truly begin and I shall save you my sister by the old gods I shall or I shall die trying.


	4. Chapter 4

Moat Cailin was a good place to visit but not to stay, the swamp's dampness seemed to get everywhere, nothing was dry and it was oppressive to breathe the air as it was laced with dampness, and much to Llewellyn's dismay even his bedroll was damp everything felt like it had been dunked in dirty water, about the only thing it was good for was a bulwark against ant threats marching up from the south, allowing none to pass and with the thick swamps on one side and the sea on the other it was almost the perfect deterrent for attacking the north.

They stayed at the fortification for about a day allowing Llewellyn to catch up on his Tai Chi though he got a few funny looks and some jeering from the guards of the fortress but he ignored them concentrating only on his movement and breathing as he did so his mind began to wander down paths leading to again question why he was sent here, why would god or the gods see fit to move him from where he was to where he is now, this place seemed like it hadn't moved out from its medieval feudal system so why send him here, it's not like he had memorised verbatim technology of the renaissance, he knew bits and pieces but that wasn't his era of study, he didn't know the exact recipe for Gunpowder he knew the elements the pieces of the puzzles but not what the picture made, he pushed out with his with his hands as if he was moving a great weight and he began to find some answers, maybe that's why, maybe they wanted to give a nudge in the right direction, or maybe not, maybe it's best to leave the will of infinite dimensional beings to the ponderings of priests and philosophers, and maybe it doesn't do well to delve too deeply down the rabbit hole for that way lies madness and no answers.

"Or I'm just overthinking it" he murmured to himself

"What are you doing" it was Ed he must have come while his back was turned and he was deep in thought

"Tai Chi" he could practically feel his confusion emanating from him "it allows me to reduce tension and think on problems with a bit more clarity"

"Does it work?"

"Sometimes, not always but sometimes" he replied

"We're going to be leaving soon for Winterfell," said Eddard as Llewellyn straightened up, then arching his back he stretched there was the pleasant popping sensation in his spine "I have ordered ser Rodrik to saddle your horse you're so you should get ready", It didn't take long for Llewellyn to get ready he had darted up to his assigned room and threw his things in his large rucksack then made his way back to the courtyard where his horse and booty were waiting, there were six men that Rodrik had brought with him there wore what looked like padded gambesons, leather jerkin's and steel helmets their weapons where basic a bastard sword with what appeared to be stamped steel shields and lances decorated with green and white flags, one man had a standing banner in his hand displaying a snarling wolf head, as he mounted his horse he felt underdressed, when it became time for him to wish the fortress goodbye good riddance he was happy to leave even if the wind chilled him to the bone.

They rode at a steady trot down the road all the while Llewellyn hoped that the road would actually become a road, not an uncomfortable stone and pockmarked dirt track but the farther they travelled the less likely he found that hope of happening.

"hey Ed" he shouted kicking his horse into a gallop and drawing next to him much Rodrik's annoyance "what is the deal with these roads"

"You will address Lord Stark with more respect boy"

"Don't call me boy old man" he snapped back, he had enough of the old fart, and he had been needling him since he had arrived with Ed at Moat Calin treating him like an enemy,

"what's wrong with the road" sighed Eddard trying almost in vain to head off an argument

"is it like this all the way," he asked ignoring the old man

"Yes this road hasn't changed in centuries"

"I'm not being funny here Ed but this road is awful, it is a disgrace to the name road"

"are they much different where you're from boy" came the Gruff voice of Rodrik

"Aye they are," he said "where I'm from every road is flat and covered with tarmac making them a smooth ride"

"And how much did that cost eh"

"I don't know I wasn't on the parliamentary community for the ministry of transport it was a few decades before I was born," he sneered at the man "probably a few hundred million pounds over the years"

"pounds," asked Eddard

"The currency of my country is the Pond Sterling," he said

"a pound of what," asked Rodrik

"Silver" he answered "but when we get to Winterfell we need to have a word about the state of your roads"

"you're the only one complaining about them"

"Seriously are you this stupid all the time or is today special for you"

"How dare you..."

"Poor roads mean poor trade which means less income tax which means less money in the nation's coffers," he said almost standing in his stirrups "surely a man such as yourself who probably has his own land would know that"

"Enough!" Eddard shouted as he pulled on the reins of his horse halting the troop "I am not spending the next two and a half weeks listening to you two argue grow up" he kicked his horse back into a trot leaving the two men glaring at each other for a moment before they rode to catch up to the group.


	5. Chapter 5

The silence between the two men became more and more awkward as they days progressed neither wanted to capitulate and as a week passed and it had stretched beyond awkward into almost open hostility Eddard had finally had enough and called both men to his tent.

"This is going to stop right now" he shouted "you are both men grown" he ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair "you should be ashamed of yourselves"

"My Lord"

"Ed man"

"No enough,!" he said his hand cutting through the air like the blade of a sword "you are going to sit down and work this out or I will head on to Winterfell and you two can stay here I have no need for petulant children when I am on the eve of war, a war I will remind the both of you to bring justice to the murder of my father and brother as well as the kidnapping of my sister" Eddard turned to leave "work this out or else" he said as he passed through the tent flap leaving the two together in his tent.

Once again an awkward silence passed between them before Llewellyn spoke up

"He's right you know"

"Yes I have never been more proud of him and ashamed of myself" again silence passed

"was he always..." he indicated to the tent flap

"no," he said as he sat on one of the two short stools "he was once shy and withdrawn so much so that they called him the quiet wolf"

"sounds like me youngest sister," he said as he sat the two were now more or less at eye level to each other

"you have as sister?" he said trying to catch him in a lie

"aye two older two younger I am the only boy my mother had"

"where are you from anyway boy," he said as he stroked his braids

"I'm from Wales," he said as he reached for his back, he clipped the flap to the rucksack then unzipped the pocket, a thing that amazed Rodrik though he didn't show it, he pulled a book from it, it was yellow with two seals between a banner, it read "The Complete History of Wales" he handed the book to the man who opened it "and no I don't know how I got here I was walking home from the Library after picking up some reading material for myself and the next I'm in a Marsh seeing you boy out there taking on three men at once" he said as the man leafed through the book touching some of the illustrations

"You really are from another world," he said

"aye," he said as he ran his hand through his hair "I don't know how to get back, but I believe that I was sent"

"Sent," he asked "by who"

"I don't know," he said as the man continued to read the book

"This word keeps coming up what does it mean," he said pointing to the word Saint

"It's a rank in the dominant religion where I'm from called Christianity" he explained " a Saint is a person who did a deed so great that people believed it could have only been accomplished through God's will," he said "and that is God plural as in singular Christianity is a monotheistic religion"

"So what did this David do that was so great?

"that's a little harder to explain you see Saint David or Dewi Sant is the patron Saint of Wales and was said to have Spread the Religion to us pagan Welshmen he performed a few miracles to show his Gods strength over the Pagan Gods but to be perfectly honest only the most devout know I was never taught in school about him"

"you went to school eh," said Rodrik sizing the man up "so you are a noble"

"no my family had a title but I am descended from the eighth or ninth son of the first Lord of Pembroke's second son so I have no title myself"

"but you went to school"

"yeah every child from the age of three is enforced by law to go to school"

"your king must be foolish to order that"

"my Queen orders nothing," he said looking "her ancestor Charles the first lost the power the crown held after a civil war" Rodrik looked surprised "his Parlement was against him because he was wasting money on pointless wars on foreign soil and to make matters worse he lost those wars, he had some problems with religion manly he chose an unpopular one he then dissolved his Parliament several times Pissing the nobles and the peasants off like you would not believe, so to make a long story short he was incompetent and unpopular while trying to force his religion on people they rose up killed him then the country was a republic for a while before the new leader proved himself better in most respects but allot worse in others Charles son then came to take revenge it didn't go well and well we became a constitutional monarchy after that"

"so every child goes to school no matter their blood"

"yeah though it is a relatively new its only been happening for a hundred and forty hundred and fifty years," he said

"interesting" he stroked his beard again before handing back the book

"so what is Winterfell like"

"it is the seat of house Stark for the past eight thousand years"

"holy shit," said Llewellyn astonished "eight thousand years?"

"yes" he smiled "the Starks are the oldest of the noble houses of Westeros, and Winterfell is the jewel of the North built by Brandon the Builder Stark eight thousand years ago"

"that's amazing," Llewellyn said "the oldest dynasty I know of his three hundred years and the Romanovs were deposed by popular revolution"

"There allot of revolution where you are from"

"Well monarchies don't really help with change more often than not, they don't cope well with it, those that do however are revealed"

"Tell me about your sisters," he said

"well my older sisters are a pain but they mean well Maria my oldest has two sons and another on the way, Zoe my second eldest has twin girls that are a hand full I don't like either of their husbands but what are you gonna do they chose them for some strange reason, my youngest sisters Sarah and Rose are my favourites, Sarah is in University studying to be a doctor and Rose is finishing College she wants to be an artist"

"what's a doctor"

"I suppose you would call them healers, or tenders to the sick or some such"

"I have a son," he said "with another baby on the way"

"congratulations," said Llewellyn with genuine feeling

"hmm, he wants to be a knight like his Da, he's good with a sword but has a long way to go before he can even be considered a squire"

The two continued to talk almost for the whole night before fatigue got the better of them, they both went back to their bedrolls with a better understanding of each other though neither would admit it they were quite thankful to Eddaed for making them sit down and talk.


	6. Chapter 6

Winterfell was beautiful, it sat almost alone in the stark wilderness its deep grey stone making it pop out against the white fields surrounding it and Llewellyn could well understand who it got the name jewel of the north, though he was slightly confused as to why it would have square and round towers, the square towers could not take a hit as well as the round ones, especially when it came to the barbican that kind of design flaw had the potential of being exploited in a siege.

But hat also flummoxed Llewellyn was that they seemed to have a woods inside the castle, he could clearly see bushie green leaves protruding from the walls as they passed through the gatehouse he could make out a red leafed tree that was so striking it left him almost mesmerised, and he realised as he got off the horse that there was absolutely no paving on the ground in the basilica he also didn't notice that he had been met by several men in armour who appeared to be escorting a very young boy who was around six or seven.

One of the guards who Llewellyn had noticed had thick leather armour with individual leather plates that covered padded gambeson of some verity and under that mail with a metal helmet that looked like it had been made from iron given the state of the castle and the general disrepair of one of the towers he knew that the starks had financial difficulties, he let on of the guards grab the reins of his house from him and pulled the beast away.

When he turned to follow Ned into the keep he saw what appeared to be a monk with a chain around his neck made of several different materials, he bowed to Ned respectfully he then placed a hand on his shoulder and Ned nodded his head, then they started talking when Llewellyn interrupted them

"yo Ned you have a nice place here"

"Llewellyn this is Maester Luin"

"Maester" Llewellyn nodded to him and offered his hand, Luin had a strong grip and hands that were callosed with use and reminded Llewellyn of his great-grandfather on his father's side Jon-Henry, Luin was oldish maybe mid-fifties and his black hair was starting to grey from the roots half way to the tips of his hair.

"the Masters are responsible for communications medicines and offer advice when needed they also keep the records of the land and Luin as the Maester of Winterfell has copies of records from all my lords as well"

"interesting" Llewellyn nodded "I have some limited experience with numbers myself" Luin nodded with a small smile Llewellyn knew that look he was patronising him, "do you have a library?" Llewellyn asked Ned not wanting to lose his temper on the Maester

"quite an extensive one" Ned smiled "I'll have Luin show you around"


End file.
